Movable partitions are used in numerous environments for a variety of purposes. Such movable partitions may be used to temporarily divide a single large room into two or more smaller rooms. Such movable partitions may also be used for noise control depending, for example, on the activities taking place in a given room or portion thereof. Movable partitions may also be used to provide a security barrier, a fire barrier, or both a security barrier and a fire barrier. In such situations, the movable partition may be configured to automatically close upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, such as the actuation of an associated alarm.
A movable partition may include one or more collapsible doors (e.g., accordion or similar folding-type partitions). For example, each movable partition may include a plurality of panels coupled to one another, such as via hinges or other configurations that permit the plurality of panels to fold during retraction of the movable partition, and for purposes of storage of the movable partition. As a result, the movable partition may be stored in a pocket formed in the wall of a building when the panels are in a retracted (e.g., folded) state.
The movable partition may be deployed by extending the movable partition along an overhead track that may be located above the movable partition in a header assembly. A leading end of the movable partition may complementarily engage another structure, such as a wall, a post, or another door. The leading end of the movable partition may include a structure referred to as a “lead post.”
In some situations, the movable partition may be extended and retracted automatically or manually. Automatic extension and retraction of the movable partition may be accomplished through the use of a motor. In some configurations, the motor may be located in a pocket formed in the wall of a building in which the movable partition is stored while in a retracted state. The motor may remain fixed in place within the pocket, and may be used to drive extension and retraction of the movable partition along the overhead track. In other configurations, the motor may be located within the movable partition itself, such that the motor travels with the movable partition as the movable partition is extended and retracted along the overhead track.